Chelsea, as every Englishman is aware, is the name
of a suburb of London, where are situated the great
national hospitals of Great Briton. It was in
existence as a village as early as A.D. 785, but was
long since absorbed by the expanding city.]

* * * *
*

JOHN WISWALL, THE OBJURGATORY BOSTON BOY.

John Wiswall, a “young man with somewhat original
objurgatory tendencies,” was not of the meaner
sort of families. His grandfather, John Wiswall,
then some eighty-three years old, ever took an active
interest in the church and social affairs, first in
Dorchester, and afterward in Boston. Mr. Savage
says that he was a brother of Thomas Wiswall, a public-spirited
man of Cambridge, Dorchester, and Newton; but John
Wiswall was ruling elder of the First Church, Boston,
made so the third month, fourth day, 1669, the day
John Oxenbridge was ordained pastor. He also
was one of the town’s committee to act with the
selectmen, to receive the legacy of Captain Robert
Keayne, in 1668. “Elder Wiswall died, August
15, 1687, aged eighty-six years.”

Elder John Wiswall left one son—­John, Jr.
This John, Jr., was a man of life and zeal in the
community. He is mentioned as “a well-known
and wealthy citizen.” Among his children,
by his wife Hannah, was one John, born March 21, 1667,
who became the “young man with somewhat original
objurgatory tendencies,” and in the autumn of
1684 was rising seventeen years of age. John
Wiswall was a Boston boy, full of the animation which
has ever characterized the youth of that town.
If he had been entirely of the plastic sort, and represented
not one of the leading families, he never would have
been made an example of to the youth of the community.
An example was needed. The new government felt
that stringency was demanded. If data serve us
well, would say that John Wiswall, “a mariner,”
died about 1700, leaving a widow, Mary, who afterward
married a White. None of the Wiswall name of
to-day are from this line, but the Wiswall blood is
infused in the Emmons, the Fisher, the Cutler, and
the Johnson families.